Snapchat now runs natively on the iPad, but only in portrait mode
Thirteen years after its debut, Snapchat is now available on iPadOS as a native app that takes full advantage of the iPad’s bigger screen.
“Snapchat now offers native support for iPad,” Snap wrote in release notes accompanying the v3.4.0.41 update. “This means that Snapchat will fill an iPad’s full screen, providing you with a larger canvas when capturing Snaps and allowing you to see more friends on the second and fourth tabs.”
Unfortunately, the app doesn’t run in landscape mode, and the tablet interface is a bit rough around the edges. We’ve reached out to Snap asking whether landscape support is coming in the future, and will update you if we hear back.
Visit Snapchat’s App Store page to get the update if it wasn’t automatically installed. Snapchat requires iOS 13.0 or later. The iPad version is not a new app but an update to the iPhone version, which now supports both iPhone and iPad screen sizes. The app also offers quite a decent web interface allowing you to chat with friends, call them on video or send them snaps using your Mac or Windows PC.
Maybe Instagram will now embrace the iPad
iPadOS still supports compatibility mode that lets you run iPhone-only apps, but the experience leaves a lot to be desired as this mode simply enlarges the app’s iPhone interface to fill the iPad’s screen, which results in pixelation and black bars. A native interface enables Snapchat to take full advantage of every available pixel on the screen and run in fullscreen mode without huge black borders around it.
I wonder whether Meta will follow in Snap’s footsteps and finally release an iPad version of Instagram. Meta doesn’t have a suitable product for young users like Snap, and the two companies compete fiercely for eyeballs. Meta’s always argued that a web app is enough for tablet users. Maybe the company will reconsider its stance now that Snap is showing iPad owners some love?
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2024/08/27/snapchat-ipad-app-native-interface-portrait-only/
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